“Emotionally, it was hell,” Johnathan Hillstrand said of the conflict with The Discovery Channel that prompted the trio to throw the future of the popular show into doubt.

According to the Hillstrands, the fight arose over a speaking tour that the brothers went on with Hansen. That tour conflicted with production of “Hillstranded,” a short series of shows the brothers shot for The Discovery Channel.

“We thought Discovery had everything they needed but then they came back and said they needed pickup shots so our schedule was pretty much screwed,” Andy Hillstrand said in the EW interview. “It got to the point in our relationship where something had to change and we just said enough’s enough. So we butted heads for a while.”

Hansen, of Shoreline, said he temporarily quit the series as a show of solidarity with the Hillstrands.

The sides eventually reached an agreement and Hansen and the Hillstrands are signed for two more seasons of “The Deadliest Catch.” They will set out from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on Oct. 14 for the next installment.

Read the full EW story here, including the premise for “Hillstranded.” Hint: It’s not about fishing and might involve a relative of the Loch Ness Monster.